Amid demographic crisis, Germany opens opportunities for Indonesian workers

In the next 15 years, Germany is projected to face one of the largest retirement waves in its history. By 2039, around 13.4 million people from the baby boomer generation, or about 31 percent of the German workforce, are expected to retire. The shrinking working-age population is making Germany increasingly reliant on foreign workers to sustain its labour market. Labour migration has thus become one of the country’s key strategies. The World Migration Report 2026, published by the International Organization for Migration (IOM), recorded that around 304 million people, or one in every 30 of the world’s population, live outside their country of origin to seek a better livelihood. “Around the world, migration helps drive employment, economic growth, stability, and social cohesion,” IOM Director General Amy Pope said in the report. For Germany, labour mobility as described in the report is one way to address the worker shortage caused by its ageing population. According to a source at Germany’s Federal Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs familiar with the policy, the government is continuously expanding efforts to attract skilled workers from abroad. The explanation was provided to ANTARA during a recent Skilled Labour Migration visit programme in the country. In addition to a shrinking workforce, Germany is also transforming its economic structure towards greener industries. This transition is increasing demand for professionals in the health, information technology, artificial intelligence, construction, transport and logistics, early childhood education, and various other technical professions.